Review of Selma (2014) by Spangle — 01 Sep 2016

Selma is an absolutely powerful, moving, and stirring film that makes you want to stand up and fight injustice around the world. With a stunning lead performance from David Oyelowo coupled by a tremendous and large supporting cast, Selma manages to capture the importance of every moment depicted, largely due to director Ava DuVernay's passion for the subject.

Her passion bleeds through the screen as you can see the love and respect which she has for those depicted. This passion is contagious as the film truly puts you in the shoes of Dr. King and his fight across the nation, particularly in Selma.

Smartly focusing on one event in Dr. King's career and the Civil Rights Movement as a whole, Selma is able to properly broach the topic and give it the weight it deserves, rather than skimming through it as part of a larger biopic.

Plus, it allows the supporting cast tor really shine, namely Stephan James and Rep. John Lewis. He is terrific in the role and knocks it out of the park. The film is magnificently written with each word dripping with weight and power.

The cinematography is inspired, perfectly capturing the towering presence of Dr. King brought on by the power of his words. Selma is a film that never stops and never stutters. Rather, it is a film that will stick with you for a long time as you revel in the magnitude of its strength.